It Started with a Barbra Streisand Song
by Procrastinating Timelord
Summary: There was an odd feeling about being on a stage. It brought the feelings of calamity and calmness all at once. She didn't understand this feeling, she didn't even do theater, glee or perform. She just felt it. The theater was in her blood, yet the appeal in it did not show. Her family lived here, but she didn't feel like she knew her family. Where did it even start?


There was an odd feeling about being on a stage. It brought the feelings of calamity and calmness all at once.

She didn't understand this feeling, she didn't even do theater, glee or perform. She just felt it.

"Ari?" a familiar voice called out.

"Hey Brook..."

In their own special way Ari's best friend was Brook. Brook was a junior who always looked out for her. Technically speaking, Brook was her half brother. They grew up close, just not in the same household.

"You ok? I've never seen you in here before..."

"Yeah... i just kinda wandered in here... is there glee practice today?"

Brook looked around. "No, I just was gonna sing a bit."

"Well don't let me stop you..."

"You don't mind?"

"Nope... go sing Brooklyn..."

He always told her that seemed like a girl's name.

He rolled his eyes as he hopped up on stage.

 ** _Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live oh_**  
 ** _Take, take, take it all, but you never give_**  
 ** _Should have known you was trouble from the first kiss_**  
 ** _Had your eyes wide open,_**  
 ** _Why were they open?_**

 ** _Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash_**  
 ** _You tossed it in the trash, you did_**  
 ** _To give me all your love is all I ever asked 'cause_**  
 ** _What you don't understand is I'd catch a grenade for you_**  
 ** _Throw my head on a blade for ya_**  
 ** _I'd jump in front of a train for ya_**  
 ** _You know I'd do anything for ya_**

 ** _Oh oh, I would go through all this pain_**  
 ** _Take a bullet straight through my brain_**  
 ** _Yes, I would die for ya baby_**  
 ** _But you won't do the same_**

He paused as his eyes landed back on Aria's skeptical ones.

"Is that gonna be your post breakup song to Jennifer?" She questioned.

Brook blushed, "possibly..."

"You know what would make it better?"

Ari knew the next question. "What?"

"If you sing it with me..."

"I can't.."

"If you say you cant sing I swear I will find that video from your 3rd grade play. For me?"

Aria rolled her eyes. She jumped up.

 _ **Aria**_

 _ **Black, black, black and blue,**_  
 _ **Beat me 'til I'm numb,**_  
 _ **Tell the devil I said 'hey' when you get back to where you're from**_  
 _ **Mad woman, bad woman**_  
 _ **That's just what you are,**_  
 _ **Yeah you'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car**_

 _ **Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash**_  
 _ **You tossed it in the trash, yes you did**_  
 _ **To give me all your love is all I ever asked**_  
 _ **'Cause what you don't understand is**_

 _ **I'd catch a grenade for ya**_

 _ **Throw my head on a blade for ya**_  
 _ **I'd jump in front of a train for ya**_  
 _ **You know I'd do anything for ya**_

 _ **Oh oh, I would go through all this pain,**_  
 _ **Take a bullet straight through my brain,**_  
 _ **Yes, I would die for ya baby,**_  
 _ **But you won't do the same**_

 _ **Brooke**_

 _ **If my body was on fire,**_  
 _ **Oh you'd watch me burn down in flames**_  
 _ **You said you loved me you're a liar 'cause you never,**_  
 _ **Ever, ever did baby**_

 _ **Together**_

 _ **But darling I'll still catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah)**_  
 _ **Throw my head on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah)**_  
 _ **I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah)**_  
 _ **You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah)**_

They smiled at each other.

"There will always be a spot for you in glee."

"Thanks..." her gaze lowering to the floor.

"I'm gonna head out..."he mumbled.

"Oh... ok." It did not seem like Brook to leave so suddenly.

* * *

The silence held throughout the theater could have been described as sickening to a theater geek.

Ari tried to imagine her mother singing on this stage.

She knows a few songs that were important to her parents, but she didn't know why.

Glancing around to make sure no one heard, she chuckled on how much this scene seemed like a cheesy TV musical movie.

 _ **There's a fire starting in my heart**_  
 _ **Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark**_

Just as she was about to start the next verse she heard a very familiar voice.

 _ **?**_

 _ **Finally, I can see you crystal clear**_  
 _ **Go ahead and sell me out, and I'll lay your ship bare**_

It was her dad.

 _ **Jesse**_

 _ **See how I'll leave with every piece of you**_  
 _ **Don't underestimate the things that I will do**_  
 _ **There's a fire starting in my heart**_  
 _ **Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark**_

 _ **Aria**_

 _ **The scars of your love remind me of us**_  
 _ **They keep me thinking that we almost had it all**_  
 _ **The scars of your love, they leave me breathless**_  
 _ **I can't help feeling**_

 _ **Both**_

 _ **We could have had it all**_  
 _ **J- You're gonna wish you never had met me)**_  
 _ **Rolling in the deep**_  
 _ **A- Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)**_  
 _ **You had my heart inside of your hand**_  
 _ **Both- You're gonna wish you never had met me)**_  
 _ **And you played it to the beat**_

Jesse chuckled as he approached the stage.

"Hey dad..." Ari said, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Hey kiddo... I thought you weren't a stage person..."

She shrugged. "Just trying it out."

"Well that certainly brought back some memories." He sighed.

"Why do you like that song?"

"I actually don't, well I do... but its the song your mother and I sang when I tried to win her back... the second time... no maybe it was the third."

"You broke up 3 times?"

"Love takes time... it took about six years until we stayed together for good."

Ari smiled "I didn't know that..."

"It was worth all the trouble in the universe to meet your mother."

"Why are you really in here?" He asked joining her sitting on the stage.

Ari sighed, it was pointless not to tell him now.

"I dunno, I was trying to get closer to mom... I dont really hear you talk about her much anymore..."

"I'm sorry about that... it's still hard..." he said, avoiding eye contact.

"I know... I feel terrible for asking..."

Jesse looked back to his obviously curious and confused daughter. Straightening up he knew he had to face the music.

"No, you should know more... what do you wanna know?"

"Everything..."

Jesse chuckled.

"Well like anything that starts with your mother it started with a certain Barbra Streisand song..."

"I saw her perform and I was instantly intrigued."

"Best performance ever?" Ari interjected.

"No... but it was better than most people could ever dream of singing themselves."

"I tried to seem prideful, but honestly the thought of Rachel made me shiver. I tried to stay calm, and after a Lionel Riche song, your mom liked me back. And then my glee club found out and told the coach."

"A glee Romeo and Juliet story huh?"

Jesse chuckled. "Something like that."

"Your Mom gave me so many chances that I ruined. Luckily, she gave me one last one that I will forever be grateful for."

"Wasn't your coach Grandma Shelby?"

He nodded "Before mom knew Shelby was her mother. She sent me on a mission to befriend her and set her up to find out the truth."

"Oh, yeah, I heard this, or she would kick you out of Vocal Adrenaline."

"Yep. Then after awhile I missed her, so I transferred back to McKinley, but they didn't care for me there."

"What about prom, I just saw the pictures but I thought you were there?"

"Yeah, that's when we sang Rolling in the Deep, kinda like a prom-prosal. Truth was, I knew she loved another guy, but he seemed on the fence about her. I wanted to make it better for her. Towards the end of the night I got attached, and when he finally saw the truth I had to let go."

"And then you finally got together with mom?"

"Well I occasionally ran into her when I coached Vocal Adrenaline. She was with Finn so I couldn't say much. I knew she loved him, so I just had to be happy for her."

Aria knew what came next.

"Grandma called me. Told me what happened. I felt terrible about it, knowing someone you loved, lost someone they love, it hurts."

"I went to the funeral, I had to leave early, like a lot of other people. It got too intense, the emotion was overwhelming, and I didn't really like the guy."

"I was kinda a stalker, I kept up with your mom's work and what she was up to. I followed the ups and downs. Then I was in town when Nana was... well she needed some help, I heard Rachel Berry was in town as well. I walked into the theater and then the rest is kinda a blur." he smiled.

"What song?"

"She always sang it to you when you were falling asleep."

Aria smiled at the memories of sitting on her mother's lap she could hear the melody.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Aria, I love you so much. You deserve to know everything about the other person just as amazing as you." Jesse whispered as he brought her into his arms.

"I've been thinking of joining glee club..."

Jesse's eyes lit up, and the rest was blur.

 _ **I hope you liked it! :)**_

 ** _-Procrastinating Timelord_**


End file.
